Destiny
by hiddentears14
Summary: arisa was a 20-yr old, working average person when her whole life is changed through an encounter with a very mysterious guy...how will this story unfold? please read and review and comment. it would help greatly! enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue:**

A long passageway…..there was a soft, red carpet covering the floor, extending for what seemed like miles. The walls were bare, showing no sign of life that would be expected in a home. A long silence stretched on and hung thickly in the air, enveloping everything in it. In the far distance, there was a door. Something was pulling me towards it. Something unexplainable. Irrevocable, perhaps. All I knew was that I needed to go to that door. _Through those doors, you will find your calling. Your destiny will be made when you reach it_ was the answer to my question. How had I known that? But I had no time to ponder the question. I was being pulled closer and closer to the door. I reached out to turn the gold door knob when suddenly, the door flew open and a burst of white light shone through, blinding me. And through that light, I heard a woman's rich, gentle voice speak the words _Welcome child, we have been expecting you. _And as suddenly as this vision had appeared, so it disappeared.

**Chapter 1:**

I woke up with a start, panting and sweating. That was one weird dream. There was that door….and that _voice_…it was so unforgettable. There was so much warmth and power in it. It would have been great if I could have just seen who the voice belonged to.

I rolled to the side of my bed and scanned for my cheap, glow-in-the-dark digital clock in the clutter of my small honey-coloured wooden bedside table. Under the clutter of earrings, hair ties, necklaces, and various papers and books, I managed to grasp it. I lifted it up and brought it up close to my face. My eyes aren't in very good shape when I wake up. The clock read 9:00 am.

I bolted out of my bed and rush to get ready. "I so don't need this today," I grimaced. I rushed out of my luxurious condo and ran into the elevator, which was just about to close. Inside was a very cute guy, probably in his early 20's. _No time to check out guys right now, Arisa! _I chided myself. As soon as the elevator door opened, I ran to the underground parking and jumped into my Lexus. I drove to the subway station as fast as I possibly could while still being under the speed limit.

I made it to a seat on the subway just as the doors were closing. Breathing a sigh of relief, I checked to make sure I had everything I needed for work. Satisfied, I leaned back onto the chair and closed my eyes.

I opened them a minute later to see an old, frail man enter through the doors. There were no more seats available at that point. I stood up, grabbed my things, and offered him my seat. He gratefully took it and I moved over to grab a pole as the train lurched forward once more.

I reached into my purse with my free hand and pulled out a book. I became engrossed the minute I started.

I looked up after a while to take a note of the stop we had reached. Just at that point, the train screeched forward, causing everyone to fall forward. I was one of the first to regain my upright position and I noticed the bright light that was starting to become clearer each second through the windows. Finally, the light became so bright that it hurt to stare. I looked to the side and noticed a guy moving through the crowd of people on the train. He was a blur and no one seemed to have noticed him there. He was wearing a black jacket with the hood pulled over his face. I craned my neck to get a better look at his face. Almost as if he could feel me looking, he looked up and met my eyes. I was shocked to see that the colour of his eyes was red. I tried to look away but something about them made me keep looking. I was entranced by them, by him. As he took me in, he slowly started to smile. As I looked on at his lips curling upwards over his teeth, I noticed that his teeth had a fang-like appearance to them. It hit me once more as another oddity. How many guys do you see every day that have red eyes and fangs for teeth? Just as suddenly as I had seen him, he ran away. Man, he was fast, almost like a blur!

The light receded and the train continued to move. I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed the guy. Everyone was mumbling and grumbling about the light but no one mentioned anything about the guy. I tried to dispel him from my mind but he was just too peculiar for me to forget about. I went back to reading and became immersed once again.

When I finally reached work, everyone was already busy. Just to let you know, I work for an advertising company as the senior executive. It gets pretty busy here so no one really gives a damn about anyone else. I went into my office and sat down in my chair, looking at all the work I had to get done. I started working, stopping only to go get something to eat. All the while, I was thinking about that guy. I hadn't noticed then but he was very charming. He had clear skin and really nice features. The red eyes and fang-like teeth just made him look even hotter.

_Arisa, just finish your work! It doesn't matter if he's hot or not, it's not like you even got to talk to him!_

I shook off all thoughts of him and finished all my work.

I headed out of my office, wished my colleagues a good night and then headed home. I briskly walked to the elevator and went all the way up to my floor. Opening the door, I tossed my bag and coat on the floor and headed for the kitchen. I quickly made myself something to eat and turned on the TV to watch the news. _That's strange….they never_ _mentioned the incident on the train…_ I thought to myself. _Oh well, maybe it wasn't that big of a deal. _

I turned the TV off and changed into my sweat pants. Locking the door to my condo, I headed out to the park for a late night jog. For as long as I could remember, I would go out for jogs at night. I used to do it with my mom but after she died….I just went by myself.

There weren't many people out tonight. Actually, I seemed to be the only one there. I continued my jog, using that time to mull over my thoughts. Needless to say, I was still thinking of that guy. Who could he be? It wasn't just his looks that were odd; he was really fast, too. Inhumanely so. Nothing made any sense. I just wished I had gotten a chance to talk to him.

Just as I was taking a turn on the trail, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dark shadows. I tried to break free but they had a strong hold on me. I started screaming but there was no one there to hear me. I had to get away. My blood was pounding in my ears. Flailing this way and that, I used my whole body to hit against him. My leg connected with his groin and he swore and let go of me for one minute. In that one minute, I ran as fast as I possibly could. I had to get back to my house. I could hear him pursuing me. My breath came in short gasps and pain was shooting throughout my whole body. I came to a dead end. He was coming closer and closer. He was going to find me soon. Where could I go?! Where could I hide?! My mind was frantically trying to figure something out.

It was too late. My pursuer had found me. He walked towards me menacingly, a cruel smile playing on his lips. He blocked my way out. He pinned me to the wall with one hand. I kept trying to fight him off but he was too strong. He slapped my face once to calm me down. I whimpered. Why was this happening to me? I didn't want this. I turned my face away and closed my eyes, trying to come up with something. I He pressed a knife against my throat and said "You're going to pay for that, bitch." The cold blade pressed into my skin sharper and sharper and I whimpered in fear as he let out a menacing chuckle.

I closed my eyes and just begged someone somewhere to come to my rescue.

Right then, another guy came. I panicked, thinking this might be someone connected with my pursuer. I twisted to try and escape and was rewarded with a nick on my neck.

The other guy came and pulled this one off of me. He spun to face his new opponent "Hey, watch it! Get lost or else you're gonna get hurt, too." He spun back to face me. The other guy pulled him off once more but this time, he punched him. My pursuer doubled over from the pain and fell to the ground, moaning. Another kick was administered and he lay down on the ground, barely making a sound. My saviour turned to me and I gasped when I saw who he was. **It was the guy from the train! **Even through the dim light of the lamppost, his beautiful features stood out and pulled me in.

"Are you alright?" he asked me, his deep, sexy voice filled with concern.

"Yeah – yeah, I'm alright. Uhh…thanks for just now." I stuttered lamely.

He smiled "It's all good. Glad I could help."

I started blushing. This was definitely one of the most EMBARASSING things ever! This was NOT how I had imagined meeting him.

I noticed something trickling down the right side of my neck. Using my hands to wipe it off, I looked at it and saw my hand was stained red. It was my blood. Then I remembered the knife nicking me. I looked up to see train guy looking at my neck, too. His eyes were wide and glowing bright red. Not even kidding, they were actually GLOWING! Even though this looked totally freaky, I couldn't help but think how hot he looked.

He moved closer and closer to me, seeming entranced. I couldn't move; it was like he had put me under his spell and all I could do was stand there. He kept staring at my neck, mesmerized by the blood on it. He stood right in front of me. There was barely any room between us. My breath came in slow, shaky gasps. He was so close and I could feel the intensity between us growing.

He reached out with one long, thin finger and gently stroked my neck. I moaned softly but it was lost to both of us. He took back his finger. For some strange reason, I was panting. He took his bloodstained finger and put it to his lips, slowly licking the blood off, all the while staring at my neck in a hypnotic state. He came closer once more but this time, this time, he tilted his head and leaned over. _Oh my god, he's going to kiss me!_ I thought.

But I was wrong. He leaned over and nuzzled his lips against my neck, right where I got cut. And then he started sucking my blood.

I couldn't believe this was happening. He was SUCKING MY BLOOD. A GUY was sucking my blood. He was sucking my BLOOD. I was petrified, paralyzed, and unable to move or do anything. I didn't KNOW what to do. Even though, he was SUCKING MY BLOOD, it didn't feel bad or anything. Actually, it felt kind of good. Really good, if I thought about it. _No, this isn't right! I have to stop him….NOW!_

I pushed him away from me as hard as I could. He backed away, blinking in stunned amazement of what had just passed.

"What – what are you?" he whispered, horrified.

"Uhhhh….excuse me?! YOU'RE the one who was sucking MY blood! And you're asking ME what I AM?!" I yelled angrily. _Who the hell does he think he is, asking me what I am?! Like IM the weird thing here._

"Your blood….it – it is different. Like no human's that I've ever tasted before." he continued whispering. His eyes took on a look of recognition and understanding. "No….no, no, NO! You can't be! Noooooo….." he said, sounding more panicked each time. Then, before I could register what just happened, he ran away, fast as lightning.

As I got back to my place, I was still fuming and mulling over the events of the night. What was wrong with that guy? Was I really that ugly? I went into the kitchen, got some ice for my face and went to my bedroom. _Just get to bed, Arisa. Forget all about this. _I put the ice away, crawled into my bed, and fell fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

My alarm clock rang again. Swearing, I rushed once more. Waking up late for work was starting to become a habit. I went to my kitchen, and got some milk out of the fridge. Just then, something hard hit my head and then I fell to the floor, succumbing to the floor, knowing no more…

When I came to, I found myself being dragged by hooded people. Before I knew what was going on, I was pushed into a sunny room and left alone. It was a huge room, with beautiful big windows that allowed the sunlight to enter. In the corner, there was a sleek white desk with white chairs encircling it. I sat down in one nervously, trying to figure out what was going on. From somewhere in the distance, I could hear the soft, gentle music playing from a piano. Hearing it transported me to a time long back in my memories…..

_Here, Arisa, let me show you how to play the piano, alright honey? 6-year old me got off the seat and watched as my mother took her place and slowly started to play. I stood beside her, listening to her play, content and happy with everything. My mother's blissful face was exuberant with delight and she fondly and lovingly played the piano…those were the only times I saw her happy…otherwise, she was always sad…_

I was jerked back to reality by the clicking sound of the door closing. I turned to look at the door and saw a beautiful, smiling woman coming towards me. She looked to be about 40 but with all the radiance found in a young girl. Her smile was warm and kind and immediately calmed me down. Her eyes were gentle and loving, reminding me of my mother, sending a pang in my heart.

"Hello, Arisa. My name is Gloria. You don't know me but I know a lot about you. I know that….many unusual things have happened to you recently. I hope that I can clarify some of these things. Some of the information you hear might be…..shocking….but I am sure that you will handle them well. You are old enough now to be told the truth."

I just gaped at her in astonishment.

She clapped her hands together. "Oh dear me, where are my manners! Of course, this must all be alarming for you. Let me take this all a little slower. Yes, that's probably best. I will start from the very beginning. But before that, would you like anything to eat or drink, dear?"

I cleared my throat and hoarsely chocked out a "no". What was she going to tell me? What was going on?! I was becoming hysterical. _Arisa, listen to her. Gloria is going to tell you everything…just listen to her and everything will be alright. _I took some deep breaths to calm myself down.

"What do you want to tell me?" I knew my hazel eyes were piercing her but I didn't care. I wanted answers. And I wanted them right away. Enough was enough.

Gloria sat down in the chair in front of me, behind the desk. For a minute, there was a long silence. She broke it by saying "Arisa, this story that I am about to tell you goes a long way back. I can only tell you what is already known by us. I want you to listen to me carefully with no interruptions until I am completely done."

She cleared her throat.

"A long time ago, possibly a hundred or so years ago, an aristocrat by the name of Silas Venturi made a very interesting discovery. On an expedition of his, he had unearthed a small family dwelling in the woods of England who were very different from humans. These 'creatures', as he so called them, were very different than anything ever scientifically known by the world. They were faster than the speed of light. They had strength that was unmatchable, intellect that was unbeatable. And the most peculiar thing of all….their diet consisted of blood. Any blood would do. With it, all their powers and abilities were replenished. Without it, their eyes would turn red, their body would weaken, and their minds would be in an imbalanced state. Eventually, they would die. They were able to camouflage themselves in society, their existence unbeknownst to all, save for the few missing animals or cattle that were needed to satiate their hunger, or rather, their thirst. Silas observed them for half a year, speaking with them and gathering information. He learnt their ways of life and what they did to survive. He realized that they lived for much longer than any species on earth. There were only a few ways they could be killed, many too complicated to be performed. Some vampires possessed certain powers that set them apart, such as the power to read minds, or the power to

The day came when Silas decided to reveal his 'discovery' to everyone. But when he approached the scientific community and the public, he was made a laughingstock and put away in a mental institution. It was a far-fetched idea that was not appreciated back then. And I must say, it is still the same." Gloria paused for a moment before continuing once more.

"Silas deemed these 'creatures' as vampires. They are known as bloodthirsty, supernatural creatures that are feared but nevertheless, spark the curiosity of everyone."

Gloria stood up and walked towards the window. She turned around to face me. "I told you this story so that you'll understand the rest of what I'm going to tell you. Vampires exist, Arisa. And…I am one."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

For a moment, there was complete silence.

"What the hell are you talking about? Are you mentally insane or something? I mean no offense, Gloria but do you think I'm stupid enough to believe you? I'm getting out of here!"

I jumped out of my chair and strode angrily towards the door. In the blink of an eye, Gloria was in front of me, barring my way out. I was shocked at the speed of her movement.

She smiled sadly "Dear, it's true. How do you think I managed to get to the door this fast?" In a blur, she was by her desk. She lifted it above her head with one hand. "How do you think I'd be able to lift this up?" She opened a small little cupboard in her desk and pulled out a clear bag filled with red liquid. _Blood _I realized with a sickening jolt. Gloria opened her mouth wide and as I looked on, I noticed her front teeth were slowly growing. As I gazed on, horrified, I saw them turn into fangs. Slowly, Gloria lowered her mouth onto the bag and punctured it with her fangs. And she started to suck the blood. In a matter of minutes, the bag was empty and Gloria's mouth was stained red. She wiped her mouth with a napkin from her coat pocket and gently asked me "Do you believe me now, Arisa?"

I slumped to the floor. It was real. She really was….a vampire. All the evidence, the proof was in front of my face. But then….what did she need me there for? Was I…was I a vampire too?!

"I'm sure you must think that you are a vampire." Gloria said, reading my mind. "But the thing is, you're not. You see, your mother was a wonderful woman, known to all the vampires. For yes, there are more like me." She added at my look of growing horrification. "Anyways, your mother was truly amazing. She held a lot of respect in our hearts. It was heartbreaking when she passed away. My child, your mother…was the high vampire priestess. And now, it is time for you to assume that role."

Another silence ensued. "So…you're telling me….my mother was a vampire and that she was your – your HIGH PRIESTESS?!" I shouted in disbelief.

Gloria shook her head gently and her golden curls shook. "Oh, she was no vampire. She was a mortal. It was just that she was a mortal with extraordinary powers. The only mortal with powers that can match that of the strongest vampires. This power runs in the blood, you know, on your mother's side. And now, you have inherited it. It is an amazing gift that you have gotten."

My head was still spinning. My mother…a high vampire priestess?! This couldn't be possible! My mother was the most unlikely person to ever fit this role. But as I kept thinking about it, certain pieces started to make sense. Her being a high vampire priestess would explain all the secret meetings she would have with people, where she would make me promise to not tell my father and all those books on vampires that she used to own. My mother had explained that they were for pleasure but now, there seemed to be a more fitting explanation.

Gloria's bubbly voice brought me out of my reverie. "You must attend night school with the other vampires. You will not be actually attending the classes with them. A separate tutor will be assigned to you. I'm sure you'll make many friends here and will make a lot of progress." Her tone softened and she smiled at me kindly. "Arisa, dear, I know this is a big change for you. I also know that you will handle it well and that you'll make us all proud. You'll make your mother proud."

She gently pulled me up by my arm and walking me to the door, said "Tomorrow, at 7 pm, a chauffer-driven car will come to pick you up and drop you off here. I will meet you myself. At 2 am, when classes finish, you will be driven back."

Without my knowledge, we had already walked all the way to what seemed to be the exit. She turned to face me. "It's wonderful to finally see you Arisa. You truly are as beautiful as your mother." She smiled sadly and opened the door, motioning for me to get into the car that was waiting at the front steps.

I walked down the marble stairs and got into the car. As it drove out, I looked at the building and was shocked to see that it resembled a late 1800's castle. It was big and breathtakingly magnificent. Soon it was out of view and I focused on all that had happened.

We finally reached my condo. I thanked the driver and headed up to my place. I stumbled in and fell on my bed, massaging my head. So much had happened. So many changes, so many new discoveries. I wasn't sure I could handle it all. I closed my eyes and knew no more….


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Even though last night had been rough, I managed to wake up on time and drag myself to work.

As I was heading to my office, I heard a voice behind me say "Well, I see our senior executive finally managed to get herself out of bed this morning on time."

I turned to see the chief executive, leaning against my office door, smirking at me.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Wow, brilliant Jake. You really have a life, don't you?" I stalked into my office and started working on my computer, pointedly ignoring Jake's presence. I could feel him looking at me and it was really unnerving. Especially since he was incredibly good-looking. With his dark brown hair and eyes and his nice figure, he could drive a woman crazy. He had been doing this to me ever since I had first joined the company. It didn't help the situation that I had known him since childhood. I don't think he was even aware of how much I liked him.

"JAKEEEEEEE" a shrill voice shrieked. Cherie was always trying to win Jake over no matter how many times he had tried to put her down. Jake sighed and went to Cherie to discourage her once more.

I continued to do my work.

At last, it was time to leave. I grabbed my things and left as quickly as I could. I reached home and got ready for my 7pm. I was very nervous. Immediately, I went back to my memories….

_Mommy, I don't want to go to school! I whined. My mother took me by my hands and said to me, "Honey, you're beautiful and smart and the most wonderful girl in the whole wide world. Everyone's going to want to meet you. But they can't meet you if you don't go to school, right? Come on, let's go." Mother and I walked down the halls to the kindergarten class and as I entered the classroom, I looked back to see if she was still there. She was and I felt so safe and secure, knowing that I wasn't alone…._

I blinked back the tears that had unexpectedly sprung into my eyes. _Too bad I'm all alone. _I thought to myself bitterly.

At 7, I went downstairs and there, sure enough, was the small, black Mercedes-Benz waiting for me. I hopped in and soon, we arrived at the castle.

Gloria was waiting for me on the front steps. "Hello, Arisa! I hope you've had a good day today. Everything has been arranged for you. I'm sure you'll be glad to meet your tutor."

She paused at a set of doors and smiled "Wait for me here, Arisa. I'll just go check to make sure everything's set inside." She quickly slipped through the door, leaving me alone outside.

A loud bell sounded and in entered streams of girls all dressed in bright colours. I felt very out of place in my black get-up. They were all in clusters, laughing and talking. I started to feel more and more like a recluse. "Hi, are you new here?" I heard a friendly voice behind me. I turned to see a cute, little redhead smiling at me.

"Hi, yeah…uhmm…I'm new here. My name is Arisa." I smiled nervously.

"Oh, so you're Arisa! We're all really excited to meet you! My name's Samantha but feel free to call me Sam. I hope you'll like it here! This is a really awesome place to be." With that, Samantha prattled on. She was a very sweet girl and I pretended to listen to her, all the while taking in my surroundings.

Gloria came back outside. "Ah, Arisa, I see you've met Sam! I'm sure you both will get along with each other very well. Samantha and the other students live in the school for the whole year, only returning during breaks. This school is like an academy of sorts. I'm sure you'll run into Samantha often. Samantha…" she frowned. "I think you had best get to your class. It's about to start."

"Bye, Arisa! It was really nice to meet you!" Samantha gushed, running down the hall.

I waved my hand at her and then turned to follow Gloria through the doors. "Have a good lesson, Arisa. After, please get your tutor to take you to my office so we can discuss a few things." She hugged me gently before she left.

I blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill and ignored the pain in my heart. Gloria was so kind and wonderful, reminding me so much of my mother and all of the memories that I had stored deep inside of me kept resurfacing. _I wish mommy was still alive now. _I pushed it all back, focusing on what was about to come.

At the front of the room, a man was standing with his back to me. I cleared my throat. "Hi. I'm Arisa…?"

He turned to face me and I gasped in shock. **Train guy was here! **

For a minute, neither one of us said anything. We just stared at each other in shock, utter disbelief showing on both of our faces. _Why am I always with this guy?! _

He cleared his throat and broke the silence. "Ok, so I'm your tutor. My name is Rick. Let's get a move on since we have a lot to discuss and you know almost nothing about anything whatsoever." He gestured to the lone desk in front of him. "There's your seat and you'll be stuck there until I feel you are ready to move on to higher levels. I think you'll be stuck there for a very long time, don't you?" he smirked.

I flushed with anger. "Well, sorry to be so stupid, RICK. But this is my first encounter with anything like this…so give me a break, ok?!"

He stared at me. I stared back, not willing to back down. After a long minute, he looked away and went over to his desk. "Open your textbook to page 100. We'll start our lesson through there."

I flipped to that page and read the title, _Vampires and Their Abilities_.

"Vampires are very powerful, one of the most powerful supernatural creatures you will ever meet."

"Wait – you mean there are other supernatural creatures, like dragons and stuff?!" I interrupted, horrified.

Rick sourly replied, "Yes, Arisa, vampires aren't the only supernatural creatures that roam the Earth. And for your information, dragons are extinct."

"Now, back to the lesson." Rick glared. "Vampires live for many, many years. It is nearly impossible to kill them due to their strength and speed. They can only be killed through certain rituals, which are described in a different section in the book. Look at that when you have some free time, alright? Moving on, vampires have retractable fangs that come out when they are either hungry or in the presence of blood. Light doesn't affect them nor do crosses. Most active at night, they prefer to sleep during the day. Certain vampires have powers that set them apart from other vampires, such as the power to control the elements or the power to read minds.

You, though you are but a mortal, have all these powers in you. They have not been present in you yet because you have not reached the stage where you can accept your position. When that time occurs, the replacement priestess will conduct the ritual and utter the words that will unleash the powers and thus, make you our long awaited high vampire priestess. The replacement priestess is none other than Gloria and though we are all happy with her rule, it is time for the chosen one to ascend to her rightful place. I sincerely hope that you'll be able to meet the expectations required. It would be quite a let-down to have a washed-up priestess ruling." He concluded, smirking once more.

I ignored that comment and asked him, "What are the responsibilities of a high vampire priestess, anyway?"

Just as Rick was about to answer the question, a gong sounded. "Well, class has ended for tonight. Now, it's time for the dinner break and then dismissal. If you want more information, then just read your textbook. All the information is in there."

He walked briskly towards the door. Pausing, he called behind him, "Hurry up, I promised to show you Gloria's office." With that, he opened the door and strode out. I jumped out of my seat, grabbing my belongings, and running behind him, trying to catch up with his fast, brisk pace.

We went through many winding corridors, each turning a different direction. Keeping track of them was useless; there were just too many. We finally reached Gloria's office. Rick, without another word, spun on his heels and left me there, all alone. I was starting to feel that I would always feel this way.

Sighing, I entered the room. _What else am I going to find out today? _I wondered wryly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: **

Gloria was at a small desk, writing something. She looked up the minute I walked in and a warm smile lit her face. "Arisa, come sit down, my dear. I have much to discuss with you!"

I warily sat down. What more was there to discuss?

"As I had already mentioned, the students here live in the academy. I was thinking, since we need to teach you everything rather quickly, maybe…" Here she hesitated. "Maybe you could live here as well? I know you have a job and we would definitely make exceptions for that and we'll change the hours that you study but really, my dear, it would benefit everyone if you stayed here. You would also be saving money since you wouldn't need your condo and your work place is close to the academy." She paused for her words to sink. "What do you think, Arisa?"

I chewed my lip, thinking this through. What she said made sense. I wouldn't need a condo and my workplace was close by. Also, she said she'd work out the timing for my lessons. All I really wanted to do was get all these lessons over with and get my life back. Maybe if I just went along with their wishes, they would leave me alone sooner.

"Alright. I guess I could stay here." I slowly said.

Gloria beamed, "Oh, I'm so glad, Arisa! It would be wonderful having you here. Oh my, we're all going to have such a wonderful time together!" Her happiness was infectious. I felt myself smiling along with her.

"I'll have to go to my place first and get rid of all my things…" I trailed off.

Gloria merely flapped her hand, "Not to worry, dear. James, the caretaker, will handle it all. You'll get money for all the furniture he sells, of course. Come now; let me show you your dorm."

Taking me by the shoulder, she steered me down the hall to a small room. Opening it, I found a cute, comfortable, spacious room containing 2 beds, a mini fridge, a TV, and a stereo system.

"You'll be rooming with Stacey. She'll be here any minute. I'll let you have some time to get used to your room." Smiling, she left the room.

I sat on the bed to the right. _I wonder what my new roommate is going to be like. _No sooner had I thought that, someone entered the room. Turning to look, I saw a beautiful brunette smiling at me. "Hi, I'm Stacey. Arisa, right? It's really cool to meet you." There was a hint of curiosity in her eyes but she didn't say anything more. "Let's go eat. I'm starved…" she grinned. As we left the door, we were met by a whole crowd of teenagers and adults, ranging everywhere from 13 to 45. Everyone was talking and laughing as they made their way through a hallway towards a set of huge oak doors. On opening it, I was shocked to see a beautiful dining hall. Rows of exquisite tables were set up around the room, each carrying a variety of fancy dishes. If there was one thing I could say, it would be that these people liked to live in luxury.

Stacey led me to a table filled with many people, most in their teens. When they saw us arrive, they greeted us with a friendly smile. "Arisa, this is Mallory, Jackson, Kate, Josh, and Negin," Stacey gestured at each person as she said their name. As I looked at each one, I felt an intuitive sense in me telling me that they were going to be my very close friends. And I was happy with that. I easily fit into their discussions on every topic under the sun. By the time dinner was done, I was feeling extremely happy and content. Maybe I wasn't going to be alone after all. Soon, we headed back to our dorms, promising to meet each other the next night.

Lying in my new bed in the dorm room, I contemplated my situation. I was told that I was a high vampire priestess and that I would have to live in an academy full of vampires. _At least I've made some friends. And anyways, I'm sure life will go back to normal soon enough. _

My life would never become normal again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: **

For the next month, I got used to life in Gloria's Academy for Enhanced Education. That was the cover she went for so that the rest of the world wouldn't suspect anything about vampires. The textbook also mentioned that there were many other such academies around the world.

Everything I was learning stunned me. I had no idea about the extensiveness of this whole vampire issue.

My life slowly started to have a pattern and normality to it. I would wake up at 8 every morning, go to work, come back to the academy, and then sleep for 2 hours before heading to my classroom where I would have my lesson with the ever-annoying and narcissistic Rick. After my daily torturous lesson, I'd head to the dining hall and sit with my new-found members, with whom I felt more and more like I belonged. After, the only thing on my mind would be to get to my bed as fast as possible and crash.

It wasn't an interesting lifestyle but I preferred this to anything else. On the first day, when I went to my workplace, I expected some comments or questions being raised when I changed my address. "Did you finally realize you were too stupid? Is that why you're finally going back to school?" Jake taunted.

"No matter what, I'll always be smarter than you." I countered before sauntering to my office and getting to my work.

The only person who seemed to show anything was Jake and since he was just a pest to me, I didn't face any problems.

One day, I was listlessly waiting at my desk for Rick to come. The door opened suddenly with a bang and Rick burst in in a frenzied hurry. Grabbing my arm and grinning widely, he rushed me out of the class. My arm was tingling from having his hands on my skin and I started breathing heavily. "Where are we going?" I helplessly let him drag me around the academy to who-knew-where. I repeated my question but received no answer. Finally, we reached a wooden door with carved symbols on it. As I stared at it, I felt a feeling of foreboding. _Something's not right here. _I shrugged the thought away. There was no way something would be wrong in a place like this. Gloria's Academy was perfect in practically all ways possible. Perfect atmosphere, flexible timings for everything, and the most perfect motherly figure, what more could I possibly ask for to make this more perfect for me? _Maybe… getting out of this whole mess?! _Well, other than that, there was nothing else I could ask for.

Before I could try and figure out what was making me so queasy about this place, Rick pulled me inside. The feeling of dread grew. "Arisa, today you will be witnessing one of the most important things in a vampire's life, something that a high vampire priestess is required to take part in." Rick stared at me intensely. "This is your first test to determine whether you really ARE the one chosen to be our high vampire priestess." He pushed my arm away and stalked off to the front of the room. _What is wrong with him?! I never did anything to him but does that stop him from tormenting me? Nope. _

Fuming, I walked over to stand beside him. I looked around and noticed that the room was lit by thousands of candles. In the center of the room, there was a small round table with 3 vials full of liquids and a small, sleek book. _The Book of Ignox. _I remembered learning about it in one of my lessons. It was a book that was supposedly written by the vampire goddess, Ignox who handed it over to the first vampire being to walk this earth. The book contained the way of life for vampires to, well, live. The text can't be destroyed as it has magical properties that enable it to last forever. The book is written in the ancient language, Ixnior. Only the high vampire priestess knew it. Ixnior gave the speaker the power to control and use powerful magic unknown to any for either good or evil. They would be practically unbeatable. It always surprised me on how much importance and the impact one language can have on a whole nation of vampires. _Coventry. _I corrected myself. The word for a huge number of vampires is Coventry.

As I stood there, waiting for whatever was to come, I couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere was very dark and intense. This was not how I had imagined it to be when I had read it in the textbook. The ritual was one that was supposed to be warm and filled with light; this dark and intense pressure wasn't supposed to be here. It was one of joy and filled with everything good, not one so…evil.

_What do I know?! This is all new to me. Gloria is handling this so it's definitely going to be right. _Still, the feeling wouldn't leave me.

The pressure was pushing against me. I felt like I was being suffocated. I needed to get out. My instincts, my brain, everything was telling me to get out.

Before I could say anything, a small side door opened. In walked Gloria, holding the hand of a vampire that was obviously terrified of what was going on. As I looked at the fledgling, which is what they call uninitiated vampires, I saw a bloodlust in his eyes. They had deprived him of blood for a very long time. _Isn't that hazardous to the vampire's health?_

I had no time to ponder over these things. Gloria turned to face me and announced aloud "The initiation shall begin."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

_This is getting creepier and creepier. _

As I looked on, I saw Gloria go towards the table where the fledgling stood nervously. Opening one of the vials, she lifted it above the fledgling's head and let the contents empty out. The fledgling vampire, who seemed to be a young boy, eagerly opened his mouth and let the liquid – _the blood, _I cringed – trickle into his mouth. When it was empty, Gloria set the vial down.

I watched on with Rick, a feeling of apprehension and horror growing. This wasn't right. This whole ceremony was wrong.

Gloria moved away from the boy and stood directly in front of me, still looking at the boy. She threw her arms gracefully into the air and opened her mouth. An array of notes flowed out of her mouth in a language that was ancient and powerful. Ixnior words were being sung.

Instead of the beautiful, gentle, and warm tone and words I had expected, I heard a harsh sound with a grating tone. I was not familiar with the language of Ixnior but I knew enough to know that these words weren't kind ones. I closed my eyes and listened carefully, trying to decipher the meaning behind it.

_You, fledgling, have reached your time. A bloodthirsty one that shall never cease. Meet it, accept it, let it take over. Your will is not yours any longer. _

My eyes jerked open. I couldn't believe that Gloria was saying this to the fledgling. It was a known fact that the words said to a fledgling during the initiation were like a blessing. They had the most impact on them and the kind of vampire they would turn out to be. The magic in the blessing would settle in their heart and slowly act upon them as they grew older. If it was a blessing that was wonderful, then their soul would not be tainted. But if they received one like Gloria's, then not only would their soul be tainted, but they would cause destruction for the whole vampire population.

How many people had she said this to? With many people influenced by such a blessing, they would soon become tainted and perhaps even form an army of destruction. A disaster like this has only occurred once before: someone had tried to form an army of vampires but they were overthrown by the high vampire priestess. The high vampire priestess was my mother. I turned to look at Rick. He seemed oblivious to the meaning of the words. _Arisa, you idiot, only the high vampire priestess knows the language of Ixnior!_ How could I have forgotten?

I had to stop this. And I had to hurry. Gloria was finishing up the ceremony. All she had to do was place the wreath of herbs on his head. "No wait!" I burst.

Rick and Gloria turned to me. I blushed a bright red but strongly announced "This ceremony cannot end without one blessing from me."

I turned to Gloria. "If I really must become the high vampire priestess, then I feel that I should bless this fledgling. Please, Gloria." I pleaded with her, an urgency creeping into my voice.

She nodded to let me know that I may do as I please. Trembling from the knowledge of what I must do, I walked over to the boy. Placing my hands on his shoulders, I closed my eyes and prayed for Ignox to give me the right words for a fitting blessing that would undo what Gloria had done. "_Aleanta nieskan suriendante nurishkklyin byern gyanausiest_." My eyes opened and I contemplated what I had just said. _Let your heart always be pure and never surrender to evil. _Looking around, I saw rick staring at me in shock. There was something else there to, something indecipherable but unnerving all at the same time. I turned to see Gloria smiling at me, but her eyes revealing the rage at what I had done. As soon as she realized that I had seen her anger, her expression changed to one of kindness but it was too late: I had seen her for what she was.

I looked at the fledgling once more. "May the Goddess always protect you. Follow her teachings, young one." Kissing him on the forehead, I backed away and let Gloria brush past me and lay her wreath on him.

As Gloria led the new member of the vampire Coventry outside the doors, Rick turned to me. "What was that? What did you say? Did you ruin something?" he demanded.

I was shocked into silence. Here I had just fixed something that was a very big issue and he was asking me what I did wrong?

I glared at him icily "For your information, all I told him was to follow the ways of the goddess and to always be pure."

For a minute, we both stared at each other. I refused to back down. As I continued staring, I saw a softness enter his eyes. "Thank you for blessing him so well." He walked over to the doors and paused, hesitating. "Maybe….maybe you really ARE the chosen one." Smiling gently at me, he turned and stalked out, leaving me standing at the altar, wondering what exactly had just passed.

I reached my dorm room and sat down on my bed. A rush of giddiness swept over me. RICK HAD BEEN NICE WITH ME! He had treated me kindly and sweetly. And he had smiled at me, too! I lay down on my bed, grinning stupidly. Maybe… maybe the vampire academy wasn't so bad after all. Maybe RICK wasn't all that bad. I closed my eyes and let sleep wash over me.

The last thought I had was how I had managed to understand and speak in Ixnior, a language that I had never heard before this day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

I was in a light, airy room. The huge windows were open, the curtains billowing from the breeze. A piano was playing soft, lilting music. In the centre of the room was a table covered in a soft, white sheet. On the table were vials of different liquids, the book of Ignox, and a beautiful, intricately-woven wreath. _Where am I?_ I wondered. This didn't look like any place in the Academy. The atmosphere of peace, of serenity enveloped me comfortingly.

I heard the noise of a door opening. I turned to see a hidden door in the wall open and in walked 3 people: a man dressed in a lilac gown, one worn by people of a different time, of a different age, a fledgling, and a woman. The woman wore a beautiful, elegant white dress, with beautiful beadwork. Her hair hung straight down her back. I craned to get a look at her face but was unable to see. In fact, I couldn't make out anyone's face._ This must be a dream. That's the only explanation for whatever is going on_, I determined. I looked on as I saw the woman raise her hands above her head. "May the Goddess bless this rite of passage." Her voice was gentle, loving, lilting, and very familiar. _Where have I heard this voice before? _I wondered. She slowly raised a vial up and started to sing in Ixnior. Unlike the previous initiation that I had witnessed, this was one that was joyful and expressed the beauty of the whole ceremony. I felt so many strong emotions stirring in me. The lyrics were simple, nothing complex. _Be one with the Goddess and with your fellow vampires. Gentle soul, kind soul, feel your power, enjoy it, and use it for good. You shall carry the legacy of this wonderful reign of vampires. _It was a song that could fill any soul with confidence and strength. The song faded away and I watched as the woman motioned for the man behind her to stand beside her. I couldn't see his face, either but he struck me as someone who was powerful, kind, and wonderful. Not to mention good-looking. But I would only be able to see if I was right about that if I could just see his face. The man lifted the wreath and gently put it on the fledgling's head. Then the woman leaned over and hugged the fledgling. "Welcome young one," she smiled. At that very moment, she looked over the fledgling's shoulder right into my eyes. I gasped aloud. I could see her face…..it was my own.

I woke up with a start, just in time for work. The day passed by in a whiz. I couldn't concentrate on anything but my dream. There must have been something behind it. I had seen an initiation, one that had been absolutely perfect – and I had been the head. What could it mean?

Jake's voice pulled me out of my reverie. "Hey, Ari, you ok?" I could hear the concern in his voice. I looked up into his brown eyes. "Yeah…I've just been so…overworked lately." He looked thoughtful for a minute. His face lit up and he grabbed my hand. "Come on, I know where to go!"

Ignoring my protests, Jake took me to his car, put me in the passenger seat, got in and drove off somewhere. We finally stopped at a park. As I got out of the Mercedes, I realized that he had brought me back to the park where we used to play as children. A lump formed in my throat.

I could feel Jake right behind me. He tapped me on my shoulder and simply said, "You're it," before running off. For a minute, I stood still. Then before I could rethink, I chased after him, kicking off my high heels.

Soon enough, our childish laughter and screams resounded throughout the park. Finally, we sat down on a park bench, panting and laughing. "God, it feels so GOOD to be a kid again!" I exclaimed. Jake just smiled at me.

"Thank you," I said softly, watching him blush. Something in me arose and I felt my body move closer to his. I felt him coming closer, too. Our lips were almost touching….and then Jake's cell phone rang. We sprang apart and looked away from each other as Jake answered his call. "Hi…Cherie? What? Urgent meeting back at the office?" He sighed in annoyance. "Ok, I'll be right there. Bye."

He turned to me. "Sorry Arisa, but we're going to have to go back. I have an important meeting to attend. All last-minute, really." He looked at me apologetically.

"It's ok. Let's go."

The trip back was quiet. We were both thinking about what had passed at the park. The intensity there was something we had never experienced.

When we reached the office, he dropped me off at the front. "I'm just going to park and come up."

I nodded. "Thank you for that time at the park. I really needed it."

Jake grinned.

Now was my chance. I leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the lips before pulling away. His face held an expression of surprise and shock. "Bye." I stepped out of the car and made my way back inside the building to my office room. I felt so much better and I had finally done what I had felt like doing for the last 10 years.

I didn't see Jake for the rest of the day but that was fine by me. If I saw him now, I wouldn't know what to say or do. My work finished, I headed back to the Academy.

Something awaited me back at the Academy and it wasn't something good.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

As I entered the Academy, I saw chaos before my eyes. Students were everywhere, screaming, and shouting, worried. Some were crying in the corner, others were running around looking for something. _What is going on?_ I saw Stacey across the packed corridor. As soon as she saw me, she came rushing to my side, a look of fear and concern on her face. "Are you ok? Where were you? I was so worried!" she demanded. I tried to calm her down.

"Stacey, I was at work. I was fine. I always come back at this time, remember?" I could see her slowly calming down. "What's going on here anyways?"

A frightened look came upon her face and biting her lips anxiously, she whispered, "There has been a murder."

A cold chill swept through me. "A – a murder? But how? Who? Why?"

"A student was killed. No one knows who or what or how. She was found by James as he was cleaning a classroom. It was one of the seniors, the one in the class of fledglings getting ready for their upcoming initiation. I think her name was Samantha Wright? How she died, no one knows. But it was no ordinary murder. James said that…" here Stacey hesitated. I prodded her on.

"What did he say, Stacey? How did she die?"

"When – when James found her body, he said that she was pale. Pale as if there was no blood in her. And when Gloria came to inspect the body, she found that…that Samantha had been drained of blood!" Stacey burst, crying heavily.

I hugged her, still in shock of the news I was hearing. Someone had DIED. And their blood had been DRAINED. What was going on?!

Then, suddenly, I felt someone's gaze on me. I turned to look and just caught a glimpse of someone – someone with glowing red eyes and protruding fangs. Just as I leaned in to take a closer look, they disappeared. Before I could mention what I saw to Stacey, I saw Gloria appear at the far end of the corridor. A hush fell over the crowd.

"Today, I am sorry to announce that Samantha Wright has died a most unfortunate death. She will be missed terribly. We are still looking into the details of what happened. Until then, I suggest that NO ONE leave the Academy for their own safety." Gloria looked at the crowd before walking away to the office.

Slowly, everyone started heading towards their dorms, stunned and melancholy by the turn of events.

I was still thinking of the strange person staring at me. There was something recognizable about that face. Though I barely had any time to see it clearly, it looked familiar.

Just before I fell asleep, I suddenly remembered who it looked like: it looked like the fledgling I had initiated.

"So you're saying that the fledgling you saw getting initiated was the same one staring at you?" Stacey asked me incredulously, as she got herself ready for dinner.

"Yeah. No mistake about it, it was him."

"Well, from what you were describing, he shows the signs of bloodlust. Which is very unusual." Stacey frowned.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

Stacey reached over to her bag and pulled out her textbook, flipping until she reached a certain page.

"When a fledgling is initiated, all bloodlust signs disappear and they will learn how to feed themselves and take care of themselves. It's almost like the fledgling's brain acquires all this new information right away on how to survive while being discreet. As you know, vampires have stopped feeding on humans and now only feed on animals." I nodded. Rick had made me read that section in the textbook. The last high priestess – meaning, my mother – had deemed it cruel and unnecessary to take the life of mortals and had suggested an alternative, using animals. Ever since then, vampires no longer fed on humans. Even though human blood made a vampire even more powerful than if they were drinking animal blood, the high priestess felt that they didn't need the extra power. The only way to become completely powerful would be to drink the blood of a vampire. But in the book of Ignox, any vampire that did such a deed would be condemned to a merciless fate with a tarnished soul – in short, their soul would burn and they would never find peace.

"Anyways," Stacey continued, "if a fledgling has bloodlust, that means that their initiation wasn't right and that their souls have become corrupted. In that case, they would not be able to follow the ways of Ignox and would continue to ruin themselves until a high vampire priestess comes and undoes the ritual."

I sat down on my bed. Things were starting to make sense. That would explain the bad feeling during the ritual. _And maybe, this might give an explanation for Samantha's murder, too. _

I quickly explained my thoughts to Stacey.

"I have to find Gloria. If I tell her then she can fix this problem. Stacey, will you help me find her?" I gushed excitedly.

We started searching together before Stacey proposed that we split up. "Whoever finds her first, calls the other. I'll try and get the others to help out, too."

I took off searching but to no avail. I had never ventured so far in the school and I was afraid that I might get lost. I stuck to one path the whole time, just following my gut instinct. The path led me to an indoor garden, one filled with beautiful, exotic flowers, reminding me of the garden my mother used to tend.

"_Arisa, flowers need to be taken care of really well. They need food, water, sunlight, soil. But most of all, they need love and care. One day, you'll take care of this garden for me and you have to promise to show the flowers lots of love, ok?" 5- year old me beamed, "Yes, mommy, I promise!" I ran between the flowers, smelling their delightful scent, looking at all the beautiful array of colours while my mother smiled at me and continued planting. _

I shook my head to rid myself of the memory and concentrate on what I had set out to do. As I kept moving through the garden, I came to a hedge. Just before I went around it, I heard a voice – Gloria's voice. I opened my mouth to make my presence known but then I heard another voice – a young boy's. Curious, I stayed where I was and listened in.

"You did a good kill but you needn't have placed the body in the classroom. Next time, do only as I ask you, not more, not less. Until I ask for you again, I do not want to see your face. Now that that stupid girl has gotten used to this place, we need to be more careful. Soon, it will be time for you and the others like you to take her."

"Why can't we just take her now?" the boy's voice whined. I looked through a small peephole in the hedge and gasped. The boy was the fledgling from the initiation. He looked even more ghastly in the sunlight now than he had during the ritual. His features seemed to have become warped and left to rot on his face. And the stench emanating from him was enough to make you barf!

"You idiot! The others are not stupid. Surely they will know what is going on if they find out that their future high priestess is dead! Now, get lost, you scum." And with a disgusted sigh, Gloria turned so that she was facing the hedge. The look of pure hatred and cruelty portrayed on her face made me cringe in fear. The fledgling took off in a blur and Gloria turned around and walked back into the Academy.

I slumped to the ground. With trembling hands, I pulled out my cell phone. "Stacey? I – I think you need to come here right now." I stuttered out.

Things had just gone from bad to worse.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: **

Mallory paced around our dorm room as the rest of us sat down.

"So you're telling me that the fledgling initiation that you had seen had been tainted and so, the fledgling is now having bloodlust and he was the one who killed Samantha and the person responsible for this whole mess is Gloria and that she had _planned _for this to happen?!" She came up in front of me and stared at me with piercing eyes. "You had better not be joking, Arisa."

I stared up at her determinedly. "I know what I saw, Mallory. I know what I heard, too. I have no reason for not being honest. But if you don't believe me then you can just leave. In fact," I turned to face everyone. "Anyone who doesn't believe me can leave right now."

For a minute the room was quiet. I was breathing heavily, watching tensely to see what would happen. These were people I considered my best friends. Today was the day that our friendships would be put to the test.

Josh cleared his throat, "Arisa, none of us has known you very well. We don't know much about what has happened to you or anything." I felt my shoulders slump. "But…I want you to know that I believe you." I looked up into his soft, brown eyes.

Negin came over and held my hand, "We'll support you and do whatever we can to help you." I looked at her and everyone else and saw their encouraging smiles. I looked back at Mallory. I couldn't read the expression on her face. Finally, she opened her mouth. "But what could be her ulterior motive behind all of this?"

I shrugged. "All I know is that she wants to kill a lot of people but not the future high vampire priestess...yet"

Kate gasped, "But then doesn't that mean that…I mean, isn't it.." Jackson interrupted, "What she's trying to say is, aren't YOU the future high vampire priestess?" As this fact dawned on me, I felt a cold shudder pas through my body. Gloria intended to kill…me?

"We'll have to keep you safe. Protecting you from Gloria is our number one priority." Stacey stated. "We'll walk you in between classes and keep guard at night at the dorm and maybe get an escort for when you go to work and…"

"I'm really touched by your concern but you know as well as I do that the only way to stop this is by stopping Gloria, not by hiding from her." I interrupted. Everyone fell silent. "What I really need is some information about vampires that I could use – possibly something to do with rituals and maybe undoing some. Also…" here I hesitated, "also, I want to find out any ways to defeat Gloria. This madness can't go on any longer and I have to ensure that this stops right now."

The others jus stared at me. Mallory slowly grinned at me. "Arisa, for once, I can tell that you really are our vampire high priestess!"

I blushed but was filled with confidence. I wasn't alone on this struggle. I had people supporting me.

Negin spoke up. "It's getting late, everyone. And, no offense, Arisa, but we need our blood. We had best get back. Let's all try and get the information Arisa needs. Until then, maybe you should get some rest. It's been a long day for you." She smiled apologetically. "I'm really sorry that we have to leave you alone."

"No, no, it's fine." I assured them. "Rest seems like a good idea. Don't worry about a thing, ok?"

They shuffled out slowly, voicing out their goodbyes and promises to do whatever they could. I shut the door behind me and lay down on my bed, closing my eyes. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did.

_You're strong, Arisa. You can do this. _I told myself firmly.

Yawning, I pulled my blanket up to my chin and fell fast asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

By the time I had woken and freshened up, the others had a pile of books laid out for me. There were so many that I wondered how I would even find the information I needed. _Well, the sooner you go through this pile, the better. _

I sat down on my bed determinedly, pulled out a book and started reading. Soon, I was immersed in it. I finished it and went onto the next. This continued until I lost count of how many I had read.

Someone tapped me on my shoulder. Startled, I turned around to see Stacey smiling at me. "Did you find anything useful?"

I sighed. "Not much. So far, I've read all about these different spells I could use but other than that, there is nothing more of use. I still have to try out the spells to make sure I can actually perform them." I looked around me in despair. "There are so many books here! It's going to take me FOREVER to finish this."

"Do you want me to help you?" Stacey asked, her voice dripping with concern.

"Oh no, you know what, I think I'm going to be fine." I got up out of my bed. "Maybe I'll go now and try out some of those spells in an empty classroom or something. Thank god Gloria is out of town this weekend!"

"Ok…but I still want you to be careful! Just because she's gone doesn't mean you are safe." Stacey looked wary.

"Ok, ok, I'll be extra careful!" I laughed, picked up all the spell books, and left the room, looking for an empty classroom. It felt so good to finally stretch my legs.

I finally managed to find an empty history classroom whereupon I closed the door and got myself a seat. Opening the first page, I looked at the spell:

_The Spell of Revenge_

_Ixin tarr mendia scintorr _

_Ki ammos reventialet drystustuatun_

I stared at the spell before flipping to the cover of the book and reading the title: _Dark Magick_. I quickly closed the book and put it away. The last thing I needed was to learn to cast these horrendous spells. I reached out for the next book, this one being full of spells that weren't evil.

_The Spell of Healing_

_Menyon tiena sacrosistis_

_Laksien toronbia krier leis stroplartumn_

I looked around for something I could practice it on. All I needed was something that was hurt or in an unusual position. At least, that's what the textbook said. I spied a withering plant and decided to use that. Taking deep breaths, I focused all my attention on that flower. _It must be healed, I thought. _I closed my eyes and chanted the spell of healing with an image of the withering flower in my mind. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked into silence. The flower wasn't withering anymore. In fact, it seemed to be blossoming. It had also grown much bigger. I felt giddy with success and I rushed to leave the room and go tell Stacey. Taking the flower with me, I ran down the hall to our room, exuberant and flushed.

When I entered the room, I found everyone already assembled there. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

Josh grinned, "Well, we thought we'd pitch in and try and help you as much as possible." Everyone nodded their agreement and Negin added, "We're your friends. We can't let you just go through this by yourself."

As I looked at all of their faces, I could feel tears springing to my eyes. An emotional, awkward pause ensued and Mallory broke it by coughing. "So…let's tell her what we found!"

Kate walked over to me with a book. "In this book, there are many tales. And one of the tales is similar to what is happening right now. In here, the heir to the high priestess position announced a duel with the person who was against her. But before the duel, the heir had to endure strenuous training."

"Some of the training is so dangerous that it could kill someone." Jackson interrupted. "After the training, she was ready for the battle."

"Naturally, she won the duel in the end." Stacey continued. "This story is really good because it tells you exactly what happened and how the heir was trained. There's just one problem…." She hesitated.

"You need someone who has a lot of experience to be a mentor and teach it. The person who trained this character was her mentor. And in this case, that would be Rick." Josh finished.

A cold wave of disappointment hit me. Rick would never help me. He hated me and respected Gloria way too much to believe me. "Is there no way for me to learn and train myself?" I asked desperately.

Mallory shook her head no. "The training and the guidance you require can only be given to you by your mentor because he is the only one with that knowledge. The people who are trained to teach the future head priestess have to go to a special school and undergo all sorts of things. Whatever is learned is embedded into their memory and can't be found in any books or anything. It's impossible."

The bell rang, signalling that it was time to eat. We shuffled out of the room quietly and went to the mess hall.

"Don't worry, Arisa, we'll figure something out." Negin promised. As they all mumbled their reassurances, I kept thinking on how I would convince Rick. _Just deal with it in the morning, _I thought. Yawning, I headed to my bed and fell fast asleep.


End file.
